PhDs don't want career plans, but sometimes 'fate needs a bit of a nudge'.

As a postgraduate careers adviser, I was recently asked to run a session for Arts and Humanities PhDs about 'Career Planning', aimed at raising researchers' awareness of the range of opportunities available outside academia. It sounded straightforward. Armed with my copy of 'What do PhDs do?'[1] I faced fifteen researchers. Mere mention of the phrase 'career planning' was met with a marked response, from anxiety to downright scepticism. This reinforced my suspicions that the very term, let alone the reality, is deemed at best challenging and at worst irrelevant by many PhD researchers.

For those in the group seeking an academic post the consensus was that 'planning is a luxury, we're totally controlled by what's out there'. One spokesman volunteered that 'we're all scouring jobs.ac.uk and praying that someone somewhere will be interested in our field of research and have a vacancy to suit'. Apocryphal tales of the trials and tribulations of the academic job search abounded and the general feeling was that all one could do was 'sit and wait'.

For those contemplating a life outside of academia, the outlook didn't appear any more promising. Contributions to online PhD forums, such as that on findaphd.com, suggest that this is a widespread perception: 'This PhD malarkey has been tough on me [but] what comes next could be far worse'. A common fear was: 'If you hit a bad patch during your PhD, at least you can say everyone goes through this stage at some time or other. When it's over you feel you ought to be more in control, know what you want'.

In addition to PhD researchers' uncertainty about what jobs are out there beyond academia, is the concern that they, as potential candidates for jobs, might not be attractive to the employment market. This is epitomized by the typical questions PhD researchers ask: 'Is it really true that some financier or marketing manager might love a mind that's been devoted to surrealism or children's literature for the last four years?' (Answer YES)

Guilt is another common emotion for those leaving academia, especially after receiving public funding: 'Would I be an ungrateful spoilt Madame to go waltzing off to the banking world after completing a PhD?' (findaphd.com forum) (Answer NO)

What is clear to me from the careers consultations I have with PhD researchers, contract researchers, temporary tutors and sessional teachers, is that there are just not enough academic vacancies for everyone. The world outside academia, though accessible, is also competitive. That said, there are many non-academic opportunities for people with PhDs, and many outside academia value the doctoral candidate for their intellectual mind, their analytical and problem solving abilities, and much more besides. Unfortunately, this kind of reassurance isn't always enough to allay PhD researchers' fears.

Advisers who suggest 'career planning' as a way of managing anxiety and uncertainty can sound a bit like Mary Poppins trying to make 'the medicine go down'. A fail-safe career plan, with every stage organised and researched, isn't realistic, but the opposite alternative, total fatalism, is too risky. A sensible and effective strategy seems to be to lay the foundations for the job hunt by being proactive, but without getting too hung up on definite decisions and direction.

It sounds like a compromise but, strategically, the middle ground (between action and inertia) really can constitute a position of strength. There was a collective sigh of relief when I introduced the group to a current popular theory know as 'Planned Happenstance' (see KathleenMitchell, 'In praise of uncertainty', San Francisco Examiner,October 25^th 1998. Available at: http://plannedhappenstance.com/news_inpraise.html). The idea is definitely not that the individual abandons themselves in fatalistic resignation, but rather that they set things in motion, prepare the way for opportunities, and then wait and see what turns up. It is about being prepared for the unexpected; adopting attitudes that lead you to opportunities by following your curiosity and responding to chance events. It is not about 'happening to be in the right place at the right time', but about reacting purposefully and consciously to the circumstances in which you find yourself.

So, what really works? What action can PhDs be taking during their research? There's nothing like a tick-list of 'things to do' that can be worked through fairly painlessly throughout a PhD, for generating a sense of productivity and drive. Researching jobs is useful and worth setting time aside for, whether there is a desired destination or not. Networking is crucial. I'm often surprised at how many researchers attend conferences and only talk to a few colleagues in related fields, unaware of the value of spreading the word about the kind of position they're looking for, and making new contacts who might be useful allies and advisors further down the line. Academics also express surprise at how many PhDs depend solely on their supervisors, and don't tap into the huge range of contacts and experience of other lecturers, both within and outside their institution.

Successful academic candidates may have sought out opportunities such as teaching and mentoring undergraduates, joining the Open University as a tutor, or working for university summer schools. Locked into their specialist topic of research, many PhDs can easily ignore what's happening at undergraduate level, and in the university as a whole, but it can pay to develop this awareness of curriculum and funding, as well as more general knowledge about how different academic institutions function.

For those considering moving beyond academia, much of the above can still apply. But finding other ways to get involved in university life, such as acting as editorial or publishing assistant for academic journals, and university publications, or representing postgraduate or other groups, is possibly more important. The value of work experience (especially that gained outside of the university environment) is obvious, but there are other good ways to improve key skills and gain some additional experience, through activities ranging from visits to professional organisations, to voluntary work, or even joining social and sports clubs. One Turkish PhD researcher I met after the 'career planning' session told me she had realised how insular she had become, so she had applied to work in a local wine retailer and had also joined the Brazilian club (they appeared to have the best social life on campus!).

I can already hear indignant protests about lack of time, but many who seek diversions from their thesis, and/or need to finance themselves, make time for these kinds of activities. Admittedly, there is seldom time or space, mentally or practically, to work these into life in the final phases of a PhD, but in the earlier years there often can be.

All PhDs can use the careers service as a sounding board and for advice on analysing and marketing their skills and assessing what further development might be advantageous. But it's interesting that many researchers don't use their key skill – the skill of research – simply to explore their options. This doesn't have to be confined to an organised campaign on websites or in their Careers centres – a random scattergun approach can also be productive.

One successful candidate happily told me that when she'd needed some light distraction, she'd scooped up armfuls of freebie career literature, and just cut out articles about anything that sounded remotely interesting and then grouped them in themes. She hadn't made any definite decisions but it had reassured her there were careers out there that appealed, and this had prompted her to attend some open days in the Civil Service to find out more about government policymaking.

This illustrates the 'Planned Happenstance' process very well. It's not an approach that suits everyone; some really do need the security of a structured career plan. There's no doubt, however, that it does seem to suit the majority I've encountered. It restores some feeling of control, because it involves positive action, but it removes a lot of stress and worry when there are no clear destinations in sight. As one student said, 'I've always been a bit of a fatalist but I now realise sometimes fate needs a bit of a nudge. I will do something to make sure I'm ready for whatever might turn up eventually'. Louis Pasteur described it even more succinctly, 'Chance favours only the prepared mind'. PhDs need to prepare not only their minds but also the contents of their CVs - happenstance should take care of the rest.

Sally Pawlik
University of Reading
July 2008

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